ADDED: Above the Law's "Lawyer of the Day" award goes to David Bono, the law firm partner who bicycled after Novak and blocked his escape. You can see him on video here. He must have been agile on his bike, and I like his verbal agility as he says — responding to Novak's claim not to have seen the struck pedestrian — "There was a pedestrian splayed on his windshield. I don't think there's any way you could miss that." A perfectly upstanding, observant, and articulate witness. Tough luck for Novak.

IN THE COMMENTS: Seven Machos:

The important thing here is that an evil person did an evil thing and that a good person (on a bicycle! which is quasi-sainthood) stopped it.

We can't let common sense get in the way of the narrative.

AJ Lynch:

Yeah he was splayed on the windshield then he just slid off like one of those mishaps you see in a cartoon on TV.

2. I was surprised that he ws only cited for "failure to yield to a pedestrian". You could be cited for that by entering a crosswalk that contained a walker, much less striking a person, or "leaving the scene"

I'd like to know at what point the lawyer/cyclist knew that the driver was Novak, and whether such knowledge shaped his recollection or description of the accident. D.C. is a political town, and most lawyers are Democrats.

It's an avenue to explore, because the "splayed" pedestrian had only minor injuries. But I'm not suggesting I have any evidence supporting the above speculation.

Yeah he was splayed on the windshield then he just slid off like one of those mishaps you see in a cartoon on TV.

LOL!

Regardless, most people except the very partisan would've forgiven Novak if he had hit a pedestrian, unless he was gunning for him.

What makes it immoral and cowardly, to echo my sentence above, is that he tried to leave the scene of the crime.

It's not the hit. It's the run.

(Similarly, in Washingtonian terms, it's not the lie. It's the cover-up)

Novak didn't only exhibit bad judgement and heartlessness in running away, but in a town like so highly politicised like Washington DC, in which he's a major player, he should've realised he's got a big bulls' eye on his back.

I echo Victoria's thoughts. It's not criminal to be a bad driver. It's the worst possible judgement to hit someone and then drive away. I don't care how badly the pedestrian is injured, and I don't care that the person who stopped him is a Democrat.

You know, one of the things about comments on blogs is that most people never change their minds or adjust their opinions no matter the onslaught of facts or logic.

Here I am, posting quickly, typing with a squirming toddler on my lap and I used the word "acceptable" instead of "respectable." It was pointed out, snarkily, but I agreed and corrected myself. Yet, the snarks continue.

I'd like to ignore the peanut gallery and repeat my point.

"Tough luck" is a choice of words that I wouldn't use. "Just desserts" is more appropriate. This is because Novak is not unlucky to get caught, he deserved to get caught. The only reason any sympathy would be sent his way is because he is a popular gossip mongerer.

If this hit and run were done by some unknown person, there'd be no sympathy whatsoever, no matter who the witnesses were.

Shockingly, out of all the others, this is the post that leaves me most surprised that Althouse is a law professor. And, that's saying something.

MattY accused Novak of being a criminal, something that hasn't been proven. It might be worthwhile for her to point that out. It also might be worthwhile for her to point out that people shouldn't convict him based on witness statements written in the newspaper.

And, it also might be worthwhile for her to point out that there are some alternative explanations for what happened; let's see if she can come up with any of those.

Beth, some of those comments were clearly in jest, but I agree that a few probably weren't. They are no better or worse, however, than the thing's I've read over the years by equally partisan liberals, so I wouldn't be so quick to mount your high horse and ride off into the sunset of smug self-satisfaction if I were you.

Trooper: Schmucky! Now you've really ruined me; I won't be able to resist yelling that one out at a game.

I predict he won't present histrionics for awhile. He's missed out on all the preseason conditioning so our oppressive heat and humidity will keep him in docile submission for awhile. But once he realizes Marques Colsten is the go-to guy, I expect he's going to start up with the offended "Hey, I was open!" gestures at Drew Brees. Brees will smack him down pretty quickly, though.

Seven, I haven't been up close, but I'm pretty sure his birthmark doesn't read 666. If it did, we wouldn't care as long as he keeps throwing well and thinking fast in the pocket. It's football, and comprises have to be made.

Gee, can't we just extrapolate and say that this demonstrates the modern journalists' sense of entitlement and that the rules don't apply to them? I'm comfortable tarring all journalists with that brush.

Victoria won the thread very early--no matter who does it--and it isnt the hit; its the run. Almost like Edwards trying to hide out in the crapper imitating Larry Craig with a wide stance (that part didn't make the National Inquirer but some have said....)

Today's news that Robert Novak has been hospitalized with a brain tumor diagnosis certainly puts his difficulty seeing a pedestrian in perspective, doesn't it?

(For those unfamiliar with brain tumor symptoms, it is common for victims to suffer visual impairment early on without realizing it. My father died from the type of cancer that has Ted Kennedy in its grip; dad's earliest symptom was progressive loss of vision on one side. We first noticed it when he kept getting lost while driving -- he was someone who was always a consummate driver, good with details, an innate sense of direction, and a map of where he was going in his head. Yet he began missing highway signs, exits, and other visual cues without being consciously aware of what was going on. It made him confused, upset, and argumentative with my mom until they figured out what was wrong.)

So here's a suggestion for those of you who are so quick with the put-downs and the assumed moral superiority: think twice the next time your'e tempted to spew such wretched nonsense.